Pipe wrench



May 27, 1941.

D. COLE I PIPE WRENCH Filed June 22, 1939 De/be/"f ATTORNEY.

Patented May 27, 1941 4 Glaims.

construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the coLu'se of the following description.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a broken face view of a wrench embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is another broken I ace view but showing movable parts of the wrench in different positions.

Figure 3 is a broken side elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged, broken section taken on the line l4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the reference numeral 5 generally designates a handie for the present pipe wrench. Relatively fixed jaws 6 and 1 are provided in substantially V relation with a rounded bottom for the V. The jaw 6 is toothed as suggested at 8 for better gripping of a pipe section 31 within the wrench. The jaw I has a curved elongated member 9. The jaw member 9 is endwise slotted as suggested at 19. A groove 12 is provided in the slot W.

A snail-shaped dog is is pivotally mounted in the slot it! upon a pin I l. The pin M has a slot 15 and a square head 68. The square head it fits in a correspondingly shaped recess in the jaw member 9. The square head in the square recess prevents turning of the pin it. The dog i3 is also slotted, as shown at H, in which slot is disposed a helical spring l8. One end of the helical spring is inserted in the slot l5 and the other end of the helical spring is hooked on a portion of the dog l3, as shown at IS. The spring l8 tends to move the dog l3 inward with regard to the jaws E and l. A stop 2!? slides in the groove l2. End 2i of the groove l2 provides a shoulder for limiting inward movement of the stop 20. The face of the dog is toothed, as shown at 22, for biting into a pipe section.

A latch 23 has a yoke 24 at the end thereof. The yoke 24 is recessed as suggested at 25 for sliding over the end 26 of the jaw member 9, in which position the latch strengthens the wrench by holding together the jaws 6 and 9.

A helical spring 21 has an end 28 that is inserted in a slot 3| in pin 29 upon which the latch turns. The spring 21 has a hooked end 39 and the spring is arranged to tend to move the latch to a closed position, as shown in Figure 1. The pin 29 has a square head 32 which fits in a square recess in the jaw 6 to prevent turning of the pin. It is believed clear that the latch 23 is pivoted in a slotted end of the jaw 6. A pawl 33 is arranged to fit in a notch 35 on the latch 23, when the latch is moved to a wide open position, as shown in Figure 2. A spring 35 tends to hold the pawl in such locking position. An arm 35 is disposed to release the pawl 33 manually when it is desired, or when the pawl is not released automatically in a manner and by a means now to be described.

A boss $3 on thepawl 33 projects into the mouth formed by the jaws 6 and 1.

By reason of this arrangement, when the wrench in practice is pushed on to a pipe section, the boss is struck by the pipe section after the pipe section is within the mouth, as far as the latch is concerned. This releases the pawl 33, permitting the latch 23 to be closed by the spring 2?. The position of the boss 43 in Figure 2 is not the position of the boss when the wrench is on a pipe section. As the wrench is pushed on a pipe section, the boss is pushed aside from the position shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 shows the pawl in a position of locking the latch open, which is prior to the application of the wrench to a pipe section.

In use, when the wrench is moved on to a pipe section, the pipe section swings the dog l3 outward on its pivot, against the action of the spring 58, until the dog is engaging the pipe section at a point in which the axis of the pin 14, the axis of the pipe 31 and the point of contact between the dog and the pipe are either substantially in alinement, or slightly out of alinement, with the point of contact of the dog with the pipe slightly closer to the jaw 1 than if the two axes and said point were in a straight line.

In the closed position of the latch 23, its yoke 24 embraces the end 26 of the body member 9, to prevent separation of the jaws under pressure.

If the wrench is applied to a larger pipe 38,

the dog I3 is moved outward against the action of the spring M3 to a further extent, as shown in Figure 2. Irrespective of the size of the pipe, it will be noticed that the axis of the pin Hi, the axis of the pipe 38 and the point of contact between the dog and the pipe either are substantially in alinement, or have the said point of contact slightly out of alinement in the direction of the jaw member 9. The snail-shape of vthe dog l3 causes its teeth 22 to bite into the pipe irrespective of the diameter of the pipe, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I, therefore, do not wish to restrict myself to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire to avail myself of all modifications which may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pipe wrench having relatively fixed jaws, movable gripping means on at least one of the jaws for gripping a pipe section in the mouth provided by the jaws, a pivoted latch adapted to connect the fixed. jaws, spring means tending to close the latch, and spring actuated pawl means on the wrench disposed to engage a portion of the latch to hold the latch in an open position against the action of the spring, for lateral movement of the wrench relative to the pipe section said pawl means having a portion which, when the pawl is engaged with the latch, is presented within the pipe receiving mouth for engagement by a pipe section to release the pawl and free the latch.

2. A pipe wrench having relatively fixed jaws, a pivoted latch adapted to connect the fixed jaws, spring means tending toclose the latch, pawl means disposed to hold the latch in an open position against the action of the spring, the pawl in the locking position projecting into the mouth provided by the jaws, a cam-faced dog mounted to swing on one of the jaws toward the pawl, and spring means tending to swing the dog toward the pawl, to direct the wrench around a pipe section in such a direction that the pipe section trips the pawl to permit the latch to close.

3. A pipe wrench having relatively fixed jaws, movable gripping means on one of the jaws for gripping a pipe section in the mouth provided by the jaws and shifting such pipe toward the other jaw, a latch pivotally mounted on the other jaw and having a yoke to embrace the jaw carrying the gripping means, the gripping means being mounted to swing within the yoke and a latch locking pawl on the latch carrying jaw and engageable with the latch in the open position of the latter, said pawl partially projecting into the pipe receiving mouth when lockingly engaged with the latch and being held by the latch in retracted position when the latch is released.

4. A pipe wrench having jaws extending in different directions to provide a mouth therebetween, a movable gripping means on one of the jaws for gripping a pipe section in the mouth provided by the jaws, spring means tending to move said means to a pipe-gripping position, a latch pivoted on the other jaw and arranged to connect the jaws together, spring means tending to close the latch, pawl means pivoted on the latch carrying jaw for engaging and looking the latch in an open position against the action of its spring, and spring means for advancing said pawl means partially into the wrench mouth to lockingly engage the latch, said latch having a surface on which a portion of the pawl means rides to hold thelatter in retracted position when the latch is released.

DELBERT COLE. 

